


A Brother’s Duty

by YumeArashi



Category: Assassin's Creed
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Family Feels, Gen, Kink Meme, Protectiveness, Tearjerker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-21
Updated: 2013-01-21
Packaged: 2017-11-26 08:16:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/648480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YumeArashi/pseuds/YumeArashi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Federico Auditore's little brother was born, their father had explained to him what it meant to be an older brother.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Brother’s Duty

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by this kinkmeme prompt: http://forkinsocket.livejournal.com/16841.html?thread=117705#t117705

It was a scene such as you might find in any home - the mother frowning, her hands on her hips, and two small boys looking guilty, staring at the floor and shuffling their feet.

“It wasn’t us, mama, honest!” the younger protested.  “It was a cat that came in through the window, he knocked over your vase.  He was a really big mean cat, he hissed at us and everything.”

“Through that window?”

“Si, mama, it’s the truth.”

Maria Auditore’s frown grew.  “That window is two stories up with no ledge beneath, no cat could possibly have come in through there.  So now you will be punished for lying as well as for breaking the vase.”

“Wait, mama,” Federico chimed in.  “Don’t be angry with Ezio, he was only lying to protect me.  I was the one that broke the vase and I didn’t want to admit it.”

“Hmm…” Maria gave them both a long stare, and the boys held their breath.  Very little got past their mother.  “Very well then.  Ezio, you know that lying is wrong, even for a good reason.  Since you were protecting your brother, I’ll let it go this time, but if you lie to me again, I will know, and I will tan your hide properly.  Understood?”  The child nodded vigorously.  “Federico, come with me.”

*****

Later that night, Ezio defied their mother’s decree that Federico was to spend the evening confined alone to his room, and snuck in.  “Why did you do that for me, brother?  You shouldn’t have been punished when I was the one who broke the vase, and then made it worse by lying to mama.”

Federico smiled.  “You’re my little brother, silly.  Just after you were born, Papa brought me in to see you and Mama, and he told me, ‘You are my eldest son, Federico, and you should know that it is the right and responsibility of an older brother to love and protect his younger siblings, always.  You must do your best to see to it that Ezio here comes to no harm - him and any other brothers or sisters that we may give you.’”

“Ohh…” Ezio was terribly impressed with the gravity of Federico’s duty.  “Then, when I am big and strong, I will protect you too.  I promise.”

Federico laughed.  “I look forward to that, baby brother.  Now you are small and weak and good for protecting no one.”

“Hey!” Ezio leapt at him and they wrestled, making more than sufficient noise to alert their mother and receive that much more punishment.

*****

On the gallows, Federico’s eyes met Ezio’s over the distance between them.  Petruccio was beside him, and heaven only knew what had happened to Claudia after the armsmen had taken them away.  He watched the soldiers close in on Ezio as the platform dropped away under his feet, and his last thought was, ‘I failed you all.’


End file.
